LIR 4615 - Ogham: Quert (Apple)

The apple is a symbol of reincarnation, feminine energies, & love. What could use a little more love in your life? A little more nurturing and accepting? Not teaching, not forcing, but allowing to be? We need not agree in order to love.

The Ogham is a celtic form of divination associated with trees. (Yes, simplistic description.) I'm trying it out as an alternate reading source. £

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It's an interesting balance, isn't it? Loving and accepting someone else - allowing them to be all they can be, in all their (to us) obnoxious glory - and still nourishing and loving and accepting ourselves.

"We need not agree in order to love." We need not be on the same page, from the same culture, even have the same beliefs, in order to accept and love each other. We need not be in the same room (which is sometimes safer, anyway.) All we have to do is love. And accept.

Ourselves as well as others. I accept that she wears spandex (leggings by another name) and a belt around her just long enough blouse. Doesn't mean I have to wear it. Or like it. Or like how it looks on her. And I still get to like myself.

I accept that some people push food on others as a form of hospitality. or culture. That's awesome, but I don't have to eat the food. Not even out of politeness, if I don't want to. And I still get to like myself.

I accept that some people are aggressive in their expressions of self, and react outwardly instead of inwardly. I don't have to receive the bullets, blows, harmful words. I can defend myself, or move out of range, or simply let them pass by without impact upon me. And I still get to like myself.

Why can't we all just get along? Because we are all different. And somehow, we can't seem to figure out how to deal with that. Because if we're different, doesn't that mean one of us is wrong? So we keep trying to force each other into our own personal mold so we can understand. Or force ourselves into someone else's mold.

But I think the whole goal is to be different.

Let's say the apple was the fruit of knowledge. Let's say Eve believed in herself and her mate so much, she was ready to accept the challenge of moving out of the womb of Eden. To take responsibility for self. To believe in the amazingness of herself amidst all the weirdness of the world outside the Garden.

What did they really have in the Garden? Love. For each other. For all things around them. For the Divine.

What did they take out of the Garden, when they marched bravely forward to practice in a new environment? Love.

And what was the goal, the reason to step out of the Garden? The need to receive knowledge of a more chaotic world? To accept all the chaos, to Love it, and therefore, to create the Garden anywhere they tread.

Obviously, we still need a lot of practice. Somewhere along the way we became fixated on rules instead of acceptance. We wanted someone else to tell us what to do, even though it felt constrictive and wrong. We started looking outside instead of inside for Love.

We name things. We create things. We are. And if we want to be right, all we really have to do is Love.

I'll even quote the Beatles (whom I accept and totally can't stand.) "All we need is Love." Love for ourselves in a difficult situation. Love for ourselves after we make a decision we hate. Love for ourselves when we look in the mirror and want to break something. Love for ourselves when we are giggling and smiling. Love for ourselves in every aspect.

Love of others, yes. Deep to the core. To know they have a different belief, but the same love. And Love of self - that I don't like the Beatles, spandex, fiction books, or wearing my seatbelt. Allowing myself to say I don't like a song, or a sandwich, or a political statement. And, deep to the core, Loving myself in all my differences.

Love and acceptance. Of every thing. 

what's so hard about that?

I hope you have a great day!
-Lila